Alright

"From the white space, from the window square
where a pine streams vertically through
will I, like my long-ago forebear,
step into the void of lilac blue,
to the interfluve of stainless silence
free from gossip blown from the chained
valleys where the animacy science
flourishes, in human flesh maintained."
/Alexei Tsvetkov/

"Once there were two fellows in regiment the same."
/Friedrich Silcher/



A bullet whizzed around and skedaddled and my fellow fell,
For all the wheezing, moaning of his it did not care a hell.
It disappeared, left him not a shot of rockin' whiskey to spill,
His photograph is dropping a reflection on the window sill.

Alright!
Alright!
I am alive and gonna stay one despite!

A bullet flew away, alright, the smoke left around to squirm.
Done fastening the primary one, let me lock the spare one firm.
Discharging from the lilac blue on all the things I have never done
The last one left is swear after emptying the steel rifle gun.

Alright!
Alright!
I am alive and gonna stay one despite!

A bullet flew around and alright this time it's not been in vain,
It went beneath my leather belts and augered through me carving a lane,
It settled and relaxed, smart gal, it's cooling off and waiting until
My own photograph lands dropping a reflection on the window sill.

Alright!
Alright!
I am alive and gonna stay one despite!



Original: altwall.net/texts.php?show=tequilajazzz&number=39905
Original/audio: music.yandex.ru/album/58904/track/549223
Original/video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3pOHM3QCVw
Original/video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=42C0n2tTqL8
Original/video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtY_po5O9rg&t=990
[multiple recordings used to fill in the omissions in the transcribed lyrics]

Epigraphs:
books.google.com/books?id=IRwsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA362&lpg=PA362
www.elenasuntsova.com/tsvetkov_all_of_it

a-pesni.org/drugije/sluzili2.htm (Russian, translator unknown)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQyg-8HO7AU

a-pesni.org/intern19/kamerad.htm (German original)
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_gute_Kamerad
lalegion.de/joomla/mp3/8_ich_hatt_einen_kameraden.mp3
ingeb.org/Lieder/IchHattE.html (translated into more languages)

...and I factored Vysotsky out.